Mechanism for turning derrick-suspended grab-buckets in a horizontal plane.



G K. SEYMOUR.

MECHANISM FOR TURNING DERRICK SUSPENDED GRAB BUCKETS IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. ISIS.

L zfiififio Patented May 8, 1917.

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G. K. SEYMOUR.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 8| HHS.

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MECHANISM FDR TURNING DERRICK SUSPENDED GRAB BUCKETS IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE.

UNITED @lllllfltfiE GLENN K. SEYIVIOUB, 0F DENVER, CGLOBADO, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS T0 ALICE A. TEATS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR TURNING DERRICK-SUSPENDED GRAB-BUCKETS IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE.

Application filed June 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN K. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States'of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Turning Derrick- Suspended Grab-Buckets in Horizonta Plane, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for turning derrick-Snspended grab buckets in a horizontal plane, and the objects of the invention are:

First, to provide for turning an empty or loaded bucket on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane to any desired angle within a radius of one hundred and eighty degrees of a circle relative to the position of the boom and while suspended from the booms of derricks.

Second, to provide simple, quick and positively operating apparatus for turning or spinning in horizontal planes empty or loaded buckets or material, such as beams, lumber, poles, and other material in single or multiple pieces when suspended from the booms of derricks on their vertical axes, from the engine platforms of derricks,

Third, to provide a bucket or grabbing device tnrning mechanism that will swing the bucket or grabbing device on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane when either empty or loaded and that is adapted to cableways and all kinds of derricks and for ship load ing apparatus. And

Fourth, to provide a bucket or grabbing device turning nechanism that will make exact angular placement of empty or loaded buckets or material.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l, is a side elevation of a derrick equipped with a material lifting bucket, and showing the improved means for turning said bucket upon its axis irrespective of the swinging movement of the boom.

Fig. 2, is a sectional. plan view showing the turning lever which is pivoted to the boom and the ropes connecting the same with the bucket support, and with an operating drum. I

Fig. 3, is a perspective view showing the terminal end of the lifting rope and the cross Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Serial No. 32,874.

bar carried thereby, to the opposite ends of which the bucket supporting chains, as well as the bucket turning ropes, are secured Fig. 4-, is a fragmentary plan view showing the derrick mast and its supports, the turning sheave therefor, and the sheave pulleys over which the boom raising and lower ing rope passes. And

Fig. 5, is a plan view of the weighted support and its sheave pulleys around which the bucket turning ropes pass.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

The numeral 1 designates a common type of bucket lowering, loading, raising, discharging, and otherwise operating engine operated derrick, and I have preferably illustrated my invention operatively applied to this type of derrick, although my invention is adapted to be applied to all kinds and types of rope lowering, loading, bucket and material moving derricks operating either by engine power or by hand.

To this end the numeral 2 designates the supporting platform of the derrick, 3 the vertical standard which is pivotally mounted in the sills 4: of the platform, 5 the abutment supports of the vertical standard, and 6 the vertically swinging boom. To the lower end of the vertical standard are secured plates provided with projecting ears 7, between which the boom 6 is pivotally secured by a bolt 8, which permits it to be swung up and down. To the upper end of the boom a short link 9, which I term the boom controlling link, is secured at one end, the opposite end of which is provided with a hook 10, to which a pulley block 11 is connected. lhis pulley block is connected to one end of a rope 12, that extends from it over a sheave 13, that is pivotally mounted on the standard, and then returns over the pulley of the block, from which it extends to another sheave 14:, mounted on the standard at the side of the sheave 18, from which it extends to sheaves 15 and 16 at the lower end of the standard, and from them extends to a drum 17.

On the upper end portion of the vertical standard, a horizontal sheave 18 is rigidly mounted. around which a rope 19 is wound and extends to sheaves 20 and 21, which are mounted on a support 22, that is secured to the abutment beams, and from these sheaves the ends of this rope,which I term. the standard turning rope, extend to a winding drum 23, on the opposite sides of which it is Wound and thus acts as an endless rope to swing the vertical standard in either direction on its pivotal pin.

The bucket used or the material grabbing devices may be of any kind or character, as this feature does not form a part of my present invention, which appertains wholly to the means of pivotally turning or spinning the bucket or the material grabbing device and the material on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane so that the bucket or grabbing device may be let down into any predetermined angular position and be turned and discharged in any predetermined angular position to the vertically swinging plane of the boom of the derrick.

It is only necessary that the buckets sup porting frame or the supporting parts of the grabbing device be provided with a cross bar 24, which may form a part of its arrangement or be added to it for the purpose of supporting the ends of the ropes of-my turning apparatus, and as a rigid yoke to hold the bucket or the grabbing device in proper rigid operative position at the points where my apparatus exerts its turning tension.

The bucket illustrated in the drawing is of a type that illustrates the practical operation of my turning apparatus and it forms the subject-matter of an application, No. 32,875, for a patent in the United States Patent Oilice filed on the same day as this present application and executed by me June 2,1915.

In the application of my invention to derricks provided with grab buckets of this type, the following apparatus is necessary to its cooperative action with this preferred type of derrick, although I contemplate the use of my invention with all types of material. grabbing buckets and grabbing or holding devices either in connection with derricks or cableways.

The numerals 25 and 26 designate the two half part bucket portions that cooperatively make this type of material grabbing derrick actuated bucket. Each half bucket is provided with an adjustable bail 27, that is pivotally connected at its terminal ends to the side walls of each half bucket by bolts 28.

In addition to the adjustable bails, each bucket is supported and sustained in its operative movements by flexible connections, which preferably consist of chains 29. Two of these chains are connected to eye plates 30, secured to each half part bucket at the upper corner of the rear end wall plate, and the two chains on the same side of the half part buckets extend and connect to a ring 31, on the same side of the half part buckets.

These four chains cause the two half part buckets to open instantly when they are operated to open and grab a load, as they provide a four point suspension and a tilting center around their pivotal points on the rear Walls of the half buckets.

From each of the rings 31 on the opposite sides of the bucket, a single chain 32 is connected at one end, the opposite end of which extends to the opposite ends of the suspension yoke or cross bar 24, from the ends of which two short chains 33 of equal length extend to a central ring 34, to which is secured one end of a rope 35, which I term the lifting line, which extends over a sheave pulley 36, that is pivotally mounted on a bolt 37, that extends through the outer end of the boom 6, that forms part of the derrick 1. This lifting line 35 extends from this sheave 36 to a sheave pulley 38, that is rotat-ably mounted on a pivotal bolt 39, that fits in a recess in the lower end of the vertical upright standard 3 of the derrick, over which it runs to another sheave pulley 40 mounted at the extreme end of the vertical standard 3, from which it extends to a winding drum 41 that forms a part of any suitable hoisting engine, which I do not illustrate.

This lifting line through the medium of the suspension chains raises the loaded grab bucket after the two half parts of the bucket have been closed together by a rope 42, which I term the closing line, and a compounded system of ropes and pulleys which is employed for changing the half parts of the bucket from their open load grabbing position into a closed load carrying bucket.

The central portion of each of the bails is provided with an extension lever portion 43, in the opposite ends of which sheave pulleys 44 and 45 are pivotally mounted.

These lever extension portions of the bails cross each other at about the center of their lengths, and are pivotally connected together at their crossing points.

Around the sheaves at the opposite ends of these levers, ropes 46 and 47 are extended, and each rope crosses from its lever to the lower terminal end of the opposite lever, to

which they are secured.

The upper ends of these two ropes 46 and 47, are extended from the sheave pulley 44 to a cross bar 48, which I term an equalizing bar, to the opposite ends of which rings 49 are loosely attached, and to which the ends of these ropes are secured. A ring 50 is loosely attached to the center of the equalizing bar and to this ring 50 one end of the closing line rope 42 is secured. The

opposite end of this closing rope 42 extends up through an eye 51, that is formed on the side of the equalizing yoke 24, to a pulley 52, that is pivotally mounted in the outer end of the boom below the sheave pulley 36.

This bucket closing line extends from the sheave to and over a sheave 53 in the lower end of the standard 3, and from it to and over a sheave also at the lower end of the standard 3, andfrom this sheave 54: it extends to a winding drum 55.

To the opposite sides of the boom at any predetermined point intermediate of its length that is out of the way of the boom and bucket operating ropes, l pivotally mount sheaves 56 and 57, placing them on each side at a short distance apart and each pair opposite the other, also preferably mounting each pair on shafts 58 and 59 that extend through the boom.

Below these two pairs of sheaves I pivota'lly secure to the boom a lever 60, by a bolt 61. This lever I term a spread yoke, and it extends across the boom and is free to pivotally swing thereon throughout a considerable portion of a circle, as will be presently explained. To the opposite outer ends of the spread yoke I attach two rings 62 and 63, and to the lower ring 62 I secure the ends of an endless rope 6d, which extends from the yoke over sheaves 65 and 66, in th base of the vertical standard, and from the sheave this endless rope extends to the opposite sides of an engine winding drum 67. To the rings 63 I secure one of the ends of two ropes 68 and 69. Tiese ropes 68 and 69 extend over the lower sheaves 56, on their re spective sides of the boom, to a sheave block 70, having two independent sheaves 71 and 72. Each of these ropes is guided to the sheave in line with it by guide eyes 78 and 7%, that are arranged on opposite sides of the block in positions to guide the ropes to run straight onto the sheaves when running in either direction on them. These guide eyes are formed on brackets 75, that are formed on the block. From this block the ropes extend up to the upper pair of sheaves 57, on the opposite sides of the boom, over which they run, and from them they extend to and are secured to the rings of the opposite ends of the suspending yoke 2-4. The lower end of the block is provided with a weight, which is made heavy enough to hold both of the ropes 68 and 69 taut when they are being wound or unwound on their drum 67.

The operation of the mechanism that turns or spins a bucket on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane, and the general operation of the derrick and bucket, is as follows:

The operator opens the bucket by relaxing the closing line, which permits the two half parts to swing apart as the chain eyes 30 on the rear wall plates of these parts act as a pivotal center, and they naturally swing apart to the full extent of their opening caacity the instant the closing line is fully i hlaxed and payed out to allow them to separate. The lifting line is then released to allow the bucket to lower, and the bucket is turned or spun by the weighted torsional twist controlling ropes by winding up one rope on its drum and at the same time unwinding the other rope from the said drum, which turns the bucket on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane throughout 180 degrees of a complete circle. This is accomplished in the following manner: When one of the ropes is wound on the drum 67, say the rope 68, it swings the end of the spread yoke to which this rope 68 is attached down and tilts or swings the opposite end of the spread yoke upwarl, as the rope 69 which is attached to the upward swinging end of the spread yoke is unwound from the drum, and this swinging action of the spread yoke pulls on the bucket rope and raises the weight and also pulls on the end of the suspending yoke and pulls or turns it around toward the boom, while at the same time the bucket rope that is slackened, allows the bucket to turn. Then when the bucket is turned to the angular position desired, should it turn past that point the slack rope is tightened enough to turn it back to the point desired. lhus by proper manipulation of these weighted ropes by the winding drum and the spread yoke, the bucket is spun or turned into any angular position relative to the boom and the material to be grabbed desired.

The operator then in raising a load winds up the lifting line or rope, and also the closing rope, it being essential that both be wound up together, as the bucket is raised, which is accomplished by suitable arrangement of winding drum.

Having raised the loaded bucket the boom is swung around by means of its horizontal sheave 18 on the vertical standard and its endless rope l9 and drum 23, to where the load is to be deposited; then the bucket is lowered as far as desired by unwinding both the lifting and closing lines. Then when the operator is ready to discharge the bucket, he unwinds and thus slackens the closing rope, and the two half parts of the bucket instantly open out to the full extent of their opening or separating movement.

By connecting the ends of the cables 68 and 69 t0 the outer ends of the centrally pivoted lever 60, the ropes are not only kept from any entanglement but they are also prevented from sawing over the edge of the vderrick boom.

My invention provides a torsional twisting or spinning mechanism that enables the bucket to b set at any angle desired to the material, and which also allows it to be moved to follow either the inside or outside of curved walls.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred construction and arrangement of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the construction and arrangement shown, as many changes might be made without departing from th spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a derrick boom and a bucket suspended therefrom, of mechanism for turning said bucket on its vertical axis in a horizontal plane comprising a pair of ropes attached at one end to said bucket, a lever attached to the opposite ends of said ropes and pivotally mounted centrally of its ends on said boom, a weighted sheave mounted on said ropes intermediate of said lever and said bucket, sheaves arranged to support said ropes on each side of said weighted sheave,'and means for turning said lever to swing said bucket in opposite directions as desired.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a derrick boom and means for operating the same, of a sheave wheel mounted on said boom, alifting rope which travels over said sheave, and means for operating said rope, a cross bar secured upon the lower end of said lifting rope, a lifting device supported from the ends of said cross bar, a lever pivoted centrally of its length upon said boom, sheave pulleys on opposite sides of said boom beyond said lever, a weighted support having sheave pulleys, ropes which pass under the pulleys in said weighted support and up over the pulleys on said boom, their opposite ends being secured respectively to the ends of the cross bar and the ends of said lever, and means for rocking said lever.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a derrick boom, and means for raising and lowering and laterally swinging the same, of a sheave pulley supported upon the outer end of said boom, a lifting rope which travels over said pulley, and means for operating said rope, a.

cross bar secured upon the lower end of said rope, a material lifting device suspended from the opposite ends of said cross bar, a centrally pivoted lever mounted upon said boom adjacent its inner end, a pair of sheave pulleys on opposite sides of said boom beyond said lever, a weighted support having sheave pulleys, ropes secured at their ends to the opposite ends of said cross bar and said lever, the central portions thereof extending down over the pairs of sheaves on said boom, and under the sheaves of said weighted support, an operating drum and a rope wound around the same, the opposite ends of which are attached to the ends of said centrally pivoted lever.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a derrick boom and means for operating the same, of a lifting rope supported by said boom and means for operating the same, a cross bar on the free end of said rope, a lifting device suspended from the opposite ends of said cross bar, ropes also attached at one end to the opposite ends of said cross bar, a centrally pivoted lever mounted on said boom, tothe ends of which the opposite ends of said ropes are secured, means for turning said lever in opposite directions thereby to efi'ect a corresponding movement of said lifting device, depending loops midway the lengths of said ropes, and a weighted sheave which is carried by the said looped portions, whereby variations in the lengths of the said ropes may be automatically effected relatively to the vertical position of the lifting device.

5. The combination with a derrick boom and means for operating the same, of a lifting rope supported by said boom and means for operating the same, a cross bar on the free end of said rope, a lifting device suspended from the ends of said cross bar, a pair of pulleys on each side of said boom, ropes having depending loop portions which extend down between said pulleys, the ropes passing over said pulleys and being secured at one end to the opposite ends of said cross bar, means carried by the boom and connected to the opposite ends of said ropes, for simultaneously drawing on one of said ropes and paying out the other, and a weighted support having a double sheave wheel which rests in the looped portions of said ropes.

6. The combination with a derrick boom, means for operating the same, of a lifting rope carried thereby, means for operating the same, and a lifting device carried by said rope, ropes attached at one end to said lifting device, means connected with the 0p posite ends of said ropes for simultaneously drawing on one and paying out the other, means comprising supporting pulleys and a weighted sheave wheel carried by said ropes, for maintaining a depending loop portion midway the length of said ropes, whereby the said ropes are automatically contracted or paid out relativelyto the vertical positions of the said lifting device.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLENN K. SEYMOUR.

WVitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. FowLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

